If seeing fish translated into success our first afternoon would certainly qualify. Wow what a show; and finally some encouraging signs for the local guys to sink their teeth into. Bluefin jumpers in small scattered groups spread over miles and miles gave us plenty to work with but nothing to show for the effort. All in good time. For us of course our sight is focused on something far below; the lack of catching on our day of departure didn't really discourage us, but, it did plenty to build on our big picture perspective of what is developing; perhaps even what is to come in the next few rounds of 2011 summer offshore fishing.

At the very least, though offshore results have been paltry over the past several days now, scattered indications of bluefin spread over at least a couple hundred miles indicate a robust amount of fish at large. As more continue to fill in, and we push past this traditional early season pattern of unsettled conditions and unsettled fish, history tells us that the upcoming month of July and beyond will be ripe with opportunity. Time will tell if that opportunity translates into catching - as wily as these bluefin are one can never tell, but there have been enough catches already this season to garner sincere optimism.

So, that is theme we are going with heading into day one of this four day, RJ Allen charter with plenty of enthusiastic anglers on board. Offshore is the program tomorrow as we throw our hat into the mix in search of the main vein down below. It is out there; sure as the sun rising tomorrow they are out there to be found, now it is a matter of our effort, and perhaps a little luck, making it happen. As we are now officially up and running for the remainder of the season look for daily reports to follow uninterrupted.

Tim Ekstrom